1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a portable terminal and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling a portable terminal, in which a function mode of the portable terminal is changed according to the way in which a user holds the portable terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the increasingly widespread use of portable terminals such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDA), portable terminals are now being designed to perform multiple functions. For example, a cellular phone was originally a terminal having a call function, but it has recently evolved to incorporate a short message service (SMS), a digital camera, an MP3 player, and moving picture playback. Thus, users can enjoy the convenience of a variety of functions without toting a plethora of devices.
In general, to operate a portable terminal having a plurality of functions in a specific function mode, a user searches for the specific function mode in which a desired function is implemented by manipulating a keypad or a contact pad included in the portable terminal and commands the terminal to change to the specific function mode.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a user manipulates a direction key 20 included in a portable terminal while looking at a menu screen provided through a display unit 10 of the portable terminal to search for a desired function mode. Once the desired function mode is found through the display unit 10, the user can select the desired function mode by manipulating a selection button 30. Upon selection of the function mode, the portable terminal enters the selected function mode.
However, in such a conventional technique, a user has to experience the inconvenience of going through a multi-stage key input process to change a portable terminal to a desired function mode.
To facilitate a mode change of a portable terminal, hot keys 41 and 42 are included in the portable terminal. Key values for changing the portable terminal to specific function modes are mapped to the hot keys 41 and 42. Thus, the user can change the portable terminal to a desired function mode through manipulation of the hot keys 41 and 42.
However, when using the hot keys 41 and 42, a user who is unaccustomed to the use of the portable terminal should be fully aware of which hot key is mapped to which function mode. In addition, since the number of hot keys that can be included in a portable terminal is limited, assigning hot keys to every function mode of the portable terminal wastes space in a key interface included in the portable terminal.
Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0315143, titled “Apparatus for Controlling Menu Using Position Sensor of Mobile Communication Terminal”, discloses an apparatus for controlling a menu, which detects motion or the position of a portable terminal held in a user's hand using a predetermined sensor and controls a direction key of the portable terminal or a function mode searching process for changing a function mode of the portable terminal according to the detection results. However, when using the disclosed apparatus, a user has to manipulate a portable terminal a number of times to select a specific function mode of the portable terminal until the specific function mode of the portable terminal is found. Moreover, even after the specific function mode is found, the user has to operate or effect a mode change using a selection button included in the portable terminal to change the portable terminal to the specific function mode. As a result, even when using the disclosed apparatus, the user has to experiences the inconvenience of manipulating the portable terminal through multiple stages to change a function mode of the portable terminal.